Vote-recording and voter&#39;s-number-registering machine.



No. 737,238. PATENTBD" AUG. 25, 1903. J. T. HOOD.

VOTE RECORDING AND VOTERS NUMBER REGISTERING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED r213. 11. 1903. no MODEL. 8 mum-SHEET 1 u, D. c. THE NORRIS PEIERS cm, WASHINGTO No. 737,238. PATENTED AUG 25 19 03."

' J. T. HOOD. VOTE RECORDING AND VOTERS-NUMBER REGISTERING MACHINE.

APPLIOATiOR IILHD FEB. 11, 1903.

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No. 737,238. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

J. T. HOOD. VOTE RECORDING AND VOTERS NUMBER REGISTERING MACHINE.

APPLIUATION FILED FER-11; 1903- 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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UNITED STATES Patented. August 25, 1903.

PATE T OFFICE.

.JOSIEPIITURNER HOOD, OF ST. JOSEPH, MISSOURI.

VOTE-RECORDING AND IOTERS-NUMBER-REGISTERING- MACHINE;

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No, 737,238, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed February 11, 1903. Serial No. 142,856. (No model.)

To all whom it Hung concern.-

Be' it known that I, JOSEPH TURNER Hoop, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Joseph, in the county of Buchanan and State of-Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vote-Recording and Voters- Tumher-Registering Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which forms. part of this specification. Y

The object of my device is to provide a machine bywhich the entire force of counting clerks and the ordinary ballot and ballot-distri-buting judges may be dispensed with, in

which absolute secrecy of the ballot is socured and ballot-box stuifin'g prevented, by which an'exact record is instantly made of each candidate voted for and the registered number of the person who voted for said candidate.

I accomplish my object by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in

4 floor. Fig. 8 is a detail of a locking devicebooth and its entrance.

which- Figure 1' is a side elevation of the device, showing the rigid and depressiblefloors, the keys and .rod connections between said de pressible floor, and the registerin gand record- 'ing mechanism. Fig. 2 is a top view of the recording wheels. Fig. 6 is a section of a reg-.

istering rubber band. Fig. 7 is a detail of a locking device connected with the depressible having connection with a rod that carries the key.- Fig. 9 is a side view of the pawl and sprocket-wheel and chain operating the registering'device and having connection with the denressible floor. Fig. 10 is a face view of the same. 1.1 is avertical section through the center of akey. Fig. 12 is a side elevation of the key. Fig. 13 is a top. view of a key, and'Fig. 14 is a detail of an inkingpad with an 'arm shown broken away.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A represents a booth about five by live feet in size with a single entrance A. This booth is provided with. a rigidly-set lower floor A and with a depres'sible floor A'. Two or more coiled springs operate at the rear be-' tweenthe depressible and rigid floors, and the depressible floor is connected with, the front of the booth by means of twoor more hinges. This depressible floor sinks with the voters weight the instant he enters the booth, therebybringing into position a registering device and also bringing into position a look ing device which precludes the possibility of any voter voting more than once for the same candidate at the same election. The instant the voter steps out of the booth saidcoiled springs elevate the depressible floor into its normal position.

B is a side of the machine; B B, the keys of the machine, each of which is adapted to hold a'small card containing the candidates name, ofiice, and party, as indicated by Fig. 13. The face of this key is a flat piece of glass 6. This glass is held in position bythree edges of the key 22 b. crimped, with sufficient room to permit thecard to be shoved between the key and the glass.

C is a rod connecting the depressible floor to the registering device. It passes through said floor and is provided with'a coil-spring c and an enlarged not 0. This spring is designed to counteract the effect of any unusual 5 jolt or weight on said depres'sible floor. This rod articulates with the registering device by means of a :hinge-joint 0'. Rod vD and its connection with the depressible floor are identical with rod 0; but it is also connected with a. locking device, consisting of ashaft d and its detent d, by means'of strap D and is riveted to said strap.

E is a wheel Whose face is adapted to contain a slip of paper recording the number of votes. This wheel is metal, preferably about five inches in diameter. It is provided with a smooth face'E, about one-half inch wide.

upon and around which passes a slip of patending around the wheel are cogse e.

per about one-half inch in width, on one half of which are the consecutive numbers 1. to 100 and the other half of which is left blank, as shown in Fig. 5,- for the purpose of receiving from the stamping device the registering number of each voter. Projecting past the face of this wheel E and ex- This wheel revolves on axle E.

F is a metal wheel with a one-fourth-inch face, to which is attached a printing device F, consisting of a rubber band about nineof wheel F. 'About four-sixteenths of an inch of the band containing the raised numbers and the remaining one-sixteenth of an inch extends over the face of'wheel F in order that when wheels E and F are brought together side by side the four-sixteenths containing the raised figures will cover the blank one-half inch referred to and shown at the right hand of Fig. 5. Wheel F is stationary upon axle E.

G is rod about three-sixteenths of an inch in diameter, the upper end of which contains a key B and which passes downward in proximity to wheels E and F entirely through the machine. Attached to rod G is a dog G, as shown in Fig. 5, for the purpose of moving forward cog c and a number on the slip of paper on the face of wheel E and which also comes in contact with and presses upon the rubber band on the face of wheel F, the inner side of which band contains the raised figures, which pass over inking device g and receive the ink, leaving an impression of each voters registered number on the blank face of the paper slip opposite the printed number of votes received up to that time by a candidate.

H is a shaft, and H a detent rigidly attached forming a locking device designed to lock the'mechanism of all keys of all candidates for the same office other than the one voted for. This detcnt accomplishes the looking by being drawn under lug 't' on rod G when key B depresses rod G and its connecting mechanism, among which mechanism is arm I.' By this movement arm I draws detent It to the locking position underlug v of all rods G G, connected with keys B B',which contain the names of candidates for the same ofiice except the name of the candidate voted for. Shaft H passes horizontally entirely through the machine and is attached at each end to opposite sides of the machine. It is not rigidly fastened, but attached so as to permit a slight'movement of said shaft with its deten't when being eperated. of rod G, projects at such an angle as will bring it into direct-contact ,with its corresponding detent H, thereby operating said locking device when key B, attached to rod G, is depressed.

d is a shaft with rigidly-attached detents d (1, comprising a second locking device designed to hold down keys B B when depressed and their connecting mechanism, thus precluding the possibility of a voter voting while in the booth more than once for any candidate for the same office. This shaft extends horizontally entirely through the machine and is Shaft dis also connected with every other shaft din the machine, of which there are preferably about thirty, by means of a rod d" and is attached by a hinged joint to one d on each shaft. (1' has a lug f on the extreme end away from its shaft which articulates with a like reverse lug f on rodG, so that when key B and its attendant mechanism are depressed lugs f and f are engaged, d and its lugf having been brought into proximity of rod G by means of the voters weight on depressihle floor A' and its connections D D and d".

J is an arm rigidly attached to red G, which projects horizontally to a position directly vertical below the center of wheel E and is adapted to contact with cogs e e by means of lug J for the purpose of looking all wheels E E not in use when the keys are in normal position. An inking-arm g, carrying pad 9, is attached to a'rod g, of which rods there is a series running parallel with the machine.

L is a pawl attached to a rod, which is one of a seriessimilar to rods 9'' g and is designed to counteract any possible reverse motion of wheel E. I

.M is an aperture in the face of wheel E,

into which is fitted a small piece of rubber, which is designed to hold the ends of the strip of paper on the face of wheel E,

his a coil-spring attached to and acting on shaft 01, which causes detents dd to resume their normal position when the weight of the voter is removed from the depressible floor.'

h h are strong coil-springs operating between the depressible and stationary floors, causing the depressible floor to resume its normal position when the weight of, the voter is removed from the floor.

Ratchet-wheel N is attached rigidly to one of the ends of axle E.

N is one of a series of sprocket-wheels also attached rigidly to the ends of axles E and connected by means of an endless chain N O is a lever for the purpose of operating pawl O, which pawl operates wheel N when the voter steps into the booth upon thedeprcssible floor. Wheels N N and endless I, the arm chain N" havipg thus been acted upon moveall wheels F forward the distance of one number, which number corresponds with the voters registry-number.

P is pawl designed to prevent any reverse movement of wheels N N and endless chain N. l

R is a coiled spp ing acting upon shaft H and detents H I-I,'causing said detents to resume their normal position when key B is released and assumes its normal position.

K is a flat spring serving to raise and hold eys B B and their mechanism in position.

T is a lug to prevent said keys going higher than their normal position.

V V are hinges to the depressible floor.

" In voting the voters are admitted into the booth singly in the order in which their names are registered on the accompanying poll-books. Stepping into the booth the v'oters weight acting upon the {depressible floor through rod 0, hinge-joint O, lever O, pawl 0, wheels N and N, and endless chain N moves wheel F forward one number, which number corresponds to his registered number as shown by the poll-book. This weight upon the depressible floor also acting'upon rod D, strap D, and rod (1, shaft 11 and deent d spring into position, and the voter with his fingers presses down the key B',containing the name of the candidate he desires to vote for. By this pressure the key 13" is "forced about a half-inch below its normal position and held in'that position by lugf, engaging lug f. In this movement arm I presses detent H from its normal position into contact with and underlug i. Dog D being thus depressed comes in contact with cog e and moves it forward one cog and one number.. By the same movement printing device F, having previously passed over inking-pad g, was depressed upon the blank side of the slip of paper on the face of wheel'E, leaving an impress of the voters registered number opposite the total number of votes received by that candidate up to that time. The oporation following the pressure upon key B must be repeated for' each candidate voted for. Upon the voter leaving the booth the depressible floor resumes its normal position by means of springs h h, and detent's d d also resume their normai'position, and-keys B B are likewise brought into normal posi-' tion by. means of spring K. The machine is then ready for the next voter to enter the booth.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vote-recording andvoters-numberregistering device the combination with the registering and recording wheel provided 'with cogs, of a key, a rod carrying said key, a dog attached to said rod and adapted to engage with said cogs and a rubber band with which it contacts and upon which it presses leaving an impression of the voters number,

' a slip of paper coveringv the face of the recording-wheel and upon which the number isiimfeed the record-receiving mechanem and complete the operation of printing the voters number upon the record-receiving mechan': ism, substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

" 2.. In avote-recording and voters-nu hervoting-booth of a stationary floor and a de-\ pressible floor and its supporting-springs, the sprocket and ratchet wheels having axle connection with the registering-wheel and the rod having connection with the depressible the registering-number is moved forward one number each time the floor is depressed, the keys and their rods adapted to be depressed by'which it is moved forward one number,

tacts and leaves the impress of that voters number as it appears on the poll-book, the pawl to prevent a reverse movement of the and lugv adapted to lock the'rods carrying the keys of all-candidates for the same oflice not voted for, the detent having connection with the-depressible floor and the rod and strap by which connected and the lug upon the keyrod with which it engages when said key-rod is depressed, and the spring adapted to elevate the rod and key to their normal position thus adjusting the machine for the next voter, substantially-as described.

3. .In a vote-recording and voters-numberregistering device the combination with the registering and recording wheel, of the rubher band on the face ofsaid registering-wheel containing raised figures and the dog having connection with the key-rod adapted to contact with said rubber band and leave an impression of the voters number and the slip of paper on the face of the recording-wheel upon which said impression of the number is made, substantially as shown and for the purpose specified.

' 4:, In a vote-recording and voters-numberregistering device the combination with the key and its rod, of the arm and its corresponding'detent and the lug upon the rod and with which said detent engages, the same being adapted to lock the rods carrying the keys of all candidates for the same ofiice not voted for, all substantially as set forth.

, 5. Ina vote-recording and voters-numberregistering machine the combination with the key and its rod, of the depressible flo'or and its springs, of the shaft and its spring and detent, of the lug on said rod with which said detent contacts and forms a locking device and the rod and strap by which said detent has connection with said depressible floor,

said floor and mechanism being designed to pressed, said mechanism being designed to registering machine the combination wlth a' floor and its lever and pawl through which by the voter, the recording-wheel andthe deg recording-wheel, the arm attached to the rod carrying the key and its corresponding detent" and the rubber band with which said dog con operate the above-mentioned locking devise, substantially as described and for'the purpose specified.

6. In a vote-recording and volers-nnmberregistering machine the combination ot a depressible fioor, the connecting-rod, its lever and paw], the ratchet-Wheel engaged by said pawl, the sprocket-wheels and their chain and the wheels and rubber bands adapted to he moved forward automatically as. the floor depresses one number of the printing device, all substantially as set forth.

7. In a vote-recording and voters-nun1berregistering device the combination with a. vertically-set rod and its key of the spring "teases attached to the rod near its base adapted to' raise and retain said rod and ke'y'in position when the rod-lug is released from its detentlug engagement, and the lug at the bottom of said rod to assist in preventing said rod and key being carried above their normal position, substantially as deoribed and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH TURNER I-IOOD. Witnesses:

WILLIAM GORDON, ANDY B. KERR. 

